Ads by Google Ads by Google

Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary appoints wew Advisory Council member

(PRESS RELEASE) — NOAA’s Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary announced one new member to serve on its sanctuary advisory council. The new appointee brings a valuable range of experience to the council, which provides sanctuary staff with input and recommendations on sanctuary programs and management.

“The sanctuary advisory council is an important link between sanctuary management and user groups and communities,” said Gene Brighouse, Sanctuary Superintendent. “Through the council, varied and diverse communities have a voice in helping the sanctuary manage its marine protected areas.”

The newly appointed advisory council member for the Business Seat is Tom Drabble.

Established in 2005, the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council provides advice and recommendations on managing and protecting the sanctuary. The council is composed of ten government and ten non-governmental representatives. Serving in a volunteer capacity, council members represent a variety of local user groups, as well as the general public. Sanctuary advisory council members serve three-year terms and meet several times per year in public sessions.

Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary embraces a fringing coral reef ecosystem contained within an eroded volcanic crater in American Samoa.  The nation’s smallest marine sanctuary at one-quarter square mile, the sanctuary is uniquely rich in both natural resources and cultural heritage.  Hundreds of species of corals, colorful reef fish, algae and other invertebrates can be found in the sanctuary’s warm, along with sea turtles, dolphins, sharks, giant clams and migratory humpback whales.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us at http://www.noaa.gov or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov.

On the Web:  Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary: http://fagatelebay.noaa.gov

NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov